Will reloading disapear with the new too lazy to do it generation

Input costs are getting to be staggering to get into reloading. I've talked to a few people who are interested, but most don't have the cash to drop a grand or better just to get decently into the game.
I have had a few buddies come over and use my press over the years with help. It's mostly been the finicky rifle and gets get it shooting type of thing. My boys realize that reloading is advantageous with the bigger stuff but are very content for me to do most of the loading.

There are a lot of headwinds for sure between prices, overharvesting of game, posting/ land access issues and the like. If things don't moderate soon there won't be much left for hunting and shooting. I already see mostly tacticool toys at the local range lately with wet behind the ears people out there. The big rifles that actually take money to feed are staying home.
 
crazymonkey said:
Definitely a lost craft with the younger crowd. Some guns are cheaper to buy and shoot but the bulk of my guns are hand loaded ammo. Lots of kids just not into the gun and hunting thing as it once was . My daughter swears she's going to sell all my guns when im gone . That's just not going to happen!!!! My dad is a instructor and has a rather large collection that will more than likely come my way and id hate to see her want to sell everything. Most of the time they don't have any idea what there given and what they not only represent . Lots of memories !!!
I tried to get the wife and my daughter into reloading but they just think it's all my job.
My wife has no problem mag dumping her ar 15 or any of her other guns .
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I know of a couple of firearms I would have love to have. They were not my family. 1 was a 50/110 sharps rolling block. In excellance condition. One there grandkids has it. I asked about it sometime back. His dad didn't know what has been done with that rifle.
Sad that people don't have the respect for the firearms and where they come from and the history behind them.
At lease I know that my sons will take care of mine. I also feel the next one down are going to want those firearms too.
 
Lots of valid reasons posted already; better factory ammo, increased costs of components and tools, decreased availability, etc. Being a Canuckistani, all those factors are true up here for me to at least the same degree as they are for you southerners.

But, in my case at least, there's another factor: I know this is heresy, but...some folks, me included, simply don't enjoy reloading. To me, there is absolutely nothing fun or relaxing about sitting in my basement cranking on that handle. I do it partially out of habit...I've been rolling my own for over 50 years. I've never enjoyed it in all that time, but back in the day it was easier to get the required components, easier to improve upon crappy factory ammo, and it saved me much more money than it does today. Loading your own was simply the price I paid to shoot as much as I did. I admit I appreciate the ability to create specialized loads like ultra-light plinking stuff for some of the big boomers, or for .45-70.

I'm not sure about down south, but up here in the Great White North the prices of powder and especially primers have increased far far faster than most other goods...that's when you can find them at all! Nowadays, my reloading is limited to semi-oddball cartridges which I enjoy using but which are not typically available for sale as factory ammo.

I've still got my reloading gear...still using up my stocks of bullets and other components...but the older I get the less interested I am in wasting what little time remains to me loading rather than shooting. Of course, being retired, I can no longer use the excuse that I am better off working more to earn the money for ammo, rather than loading it myself. But, I no longer need any excuse. I just admit it out loud: I don't like reloading.
 
melodyrain097 said:
For last 5 months after being gone 16 years .I was shocked that reloading was disappearing big time with people under 35 .I also went to several large gun shops and very few had reloading supplies .I dont know any kids down here that reload .I did see lots old reloading equipment left to their kids and it was being sold by their kids .I took lots of kids hunting but only got to teach one to reload .Its a lot of work my ammo for 338-378 weatherby and 416 rem mag was crazy high .I tried to find some shotgun reloading stuff up there this summer there was none .Sportsman warehouse use to have tons of reloading stuff they didn't have much like they use to .We better start teaching kids this quick or poof its gone..
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I think it depends on what discipline you are looking at. I don't see a single young shooter competing in F-Class 1000 yard competitions that doesn't hand load. Factory loads can't compete.
What you are seeing in blaster ammo use may be true but serious long range shooting it absolutely is not.
Here at Berger we sell every long range bullet we can make and much of them go to younger long range shooters to hand load
Perhaps it isn't laziness, that drives younger shooters decline in hand loading, factory ammo has gotten better and cost savings once realized by reloading have diminished..
Today's Factory ammo is capable of 1/2 MOA precision and Velocity SDs under 20fps that is good enough for 600 yards. Beyond that Velocity SDs need to be ten or less and BC variance needs to be under 1%. You have to hand load to achieve those performances.
 
melodyrain097 said:
For last 5 months after being gone 16 years .I was shocked that reloading was disappearing big time with people under 35 .I also went to several large gun shops and very few had reloading supplies .I dont know any kids down here that reload .I did see lots old reloading equipment left to their kids and it was being sold by their kids .I took lots of kids hunting but only got to teach one to reload .Its a lot of work my ammo for 338-378 weatherby and 416 rem mag was crazy high .I tried to find some shotgun reloading stuff up there this summer there was none .Sportsman warehouse use to have tons of reloading stuff they didn't have much like they use to .We better start teaching kids this quick or poof its gone..
Click to expand...

I believe that that is exactly right!

Today's generation are much farther away from the out of doors than any previous generation here in America and they are the "Instant Gratification" generation!

If they even have an inclination to actually shoot…..it requires too much time and effort to hand load ammunition. They will simply buy from a store and shoot. Policing and saving the brass for future use is a completely foreign concept! memtb
 
xsn10s said:
It's harder to find kids that know how to operate a broom. So reloading?............ The good news is that there is a movement to get young people interested in blue collar jobs like electricians, construction ete. Mike Rowe is showing how there are jobs that pay six figures without a college degree. So our new generation will learn again how to use their hands to build things. If they get into shooting then reloading might have a chance.
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My grandkids are doing blue collar work, some hunt……none are interested in reloading! ☹️ memtb
 
johnwm said:
Lots of valid reasons posted already; better factory ammo, increased costs of components and tools, decreased availability, etc. Being a Canuckistani, all those factors are true up here for me to at least the same degree as they are for you southerners.

But, in my case at least, there's another factor: I know this is heresy, but...some folks, me included, simply don't enjoy reloading. To me, there is absolutely nothing fun or relaxing about sitting in my basement cranking on that handle. I do it partially out of habit...I've been rolling my own for over 50 years. I've never enjoyed it in all that time, but back in the day it was easier to get the required components, easier to improve upon crappy factory ammo, and it saved me much more money than it does today. Loading your own was simply the price I paid to shoot as much as I did. I admit I appreciate the ability to create specialized loads like ultra-light plinking stuff for some of the big boomers, or for .45-70.

I'm not sure about down south, but up here in the Great White North the prices of powder and especially primers have increased far far faster than most other goods...that's when you can find them at all! Nowadays, my reloading is limited to semi-oddball cartridges which I enjoy using but which are not typically available for sale as factory ammo.

I've still got my reloading gear...still using up my stocks of bullets and other components...but the older I get the less interested I am in wasting what little time remains to me loading rather than shooting. Of course, being retired, I can no longer use the excuse that I am better off working more to earn the money for ammo, rather than loading it myself. But, I no longer need any excuse. I just admit it out loud: I don't like reloading.
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I am the other way. The older I get the more I like reloading and developing loads for my rifles. It makes you think about it and how you can change things if need or wanted. It's wide open as to what you want built in case. Been reloading now for 65yrs now. Just keep adding to my equipment, and loading stocks. Never know when a rainy day may come along. We kind of had that not to long ago. No powder, primers, bullets, and cases. Now it all coming back in stock. Stock up while you can. At least the prices are coming down some.
 
I started reloading 20+ years ago. Started shooting High Power.
Mil-surp ammo was okay for 100 yd matches but across the course matches it wasn't good enough. Bought a projector kit by Hornady that was a little more than I could afford. Buy once , cry once. Since then the equipment family has expanded. It was cost effective then . Then shortages came about during Clinton and 'Barky' years. Fast forward, I see independent producers of ammo producing match grade ammunition for $900-$1000. Per 500 lot. I see fellow shooters using this stuff. At this point I think they're missing out on the ability to learn the craft's value.
I've enjoyed learning the ins & outs of it and made some great friends, met some of the best people, met the premier shooters, traveled to matches.
Today the new generation isn't interested, IMHO, it's easier to sit on the couch , drink Pepsi in the A/C with a game key pad in hand.
Just sayin'
 
As someone who works at an outdoor retailer I field questions about ammunition for "obsolete", milsurp, and older firearms quite often.

Many of those get at best a short run a year from manufacturers. I believe I have heard it is when they are changing over to run different things they will slip a run of something in.

I am in the Midwest so some cartridges common in the west are not as common here.

I usually ask if the customer has looked into reloading. Sometimes they will ask about it and I will show them what we have. Every once in a while I will get a customer who realizes that their best bet at shooting the old rifle is to reload for it.

More often they will say that maybe someday. Or they might have a buddy that does and they will lean on them.

I advise them to save their brass.

We have so much diversity and quality in our factory rifles, ammunition, and chamberings. In my opinion it is kind of a why do it when I can grab a rifle and ammunition off the shelf to do what I need to do and at a relatively reasonable price. That old rifle is not going to go anywhere. They would rather spend time shooting than spend time at the reloading bench.
 
I can't speak to general trends, but at least a few young guys I know from work are into shooting and loading. Its likely as many as at any time in the 25 years I've been there. We have 110 on the roster.

As far as costs, some boutique brands have gotten pretty pricey, but a guy can still pick up a decent press and an FL die set for pretty cheap, especially if you shop used. 25+ years ago I was getting .5" groups in some guns with Lee FL dies, a sloppy press I got for near free and a balance scale with a powder dipper. And the rifles these days have gotten better on average; no thing to drill out tiny groups with entry level rifles.
 
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Starbuck said:
I can't speak to general trends, but at least few young guys I know from work are into shooting and loading.

As far as costs, some boutique brands have gotten pretty pricey, but a guy can still pick up a decent press and an FL die set for pretty cheap, especially if you shop used. 25+ years ago I was getting .5" groups in some guns with Lee FL dies, a sloppy press I got for near free and a balance scale with a powder dipper. And the rifles these days have gotten better on average; no thing to drill out tiny groups with entry level rifles.
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I'm so sorry, you've apparently landed at the wrong forum…..rationality will garner you few friends here! 😂 memtb
 
I got my education when a thread came out awhile back. That increasing a cartridge velocity could put it in a class above, where it was. When i saw all the people jumping for joy on a federal loading. I saw something that i just generally never thought about. I always thought that handloading could increase, accuracy, velocity, etc. Never has it occured to me to buy factory ammo, for hunting in over 35 years, for performance increases.
Taking factory loads as gospel on velocity, but taking them in a long range situation, without verifying velocity, is just disrespectful to our game. If enough people wound game having this velocity mentality. The game depts may get even tougher on minimum calibers. Seems like not all but a percentage of the new generation are not tolerate to recoil. This shows up in shooting trends of today.
 
Left Hand Dave said:
If you look at the age of most of the people on this and other shooting/hunting sites and gun shows you will see mostly older guys. The younger crowd just aren't interested. I have seen a few really depressing threads with people asking what to do with their hunting and shooting gear because their kids are not interested. The self reliance gene is dying off. Heck they don't even want to have to shop for their own groceries more or less hunt them down.
Click to expand...
Don't count out the young crowd in it's entirety. Plenty young hand loaders out in
Rural America.
 

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